A year on, Hay List's little niggles keep McNair on his toes

Chris Roots

JOHN McNAIR has labelled himself a slow learner after changing Hay List's shoeing following a gallop at Gosford on Wednesday.

The horseman felt there was a little problem with Hay List's troublesome off-front hoof.

"I should know you don't change anything with this fellow but a couple of days out from his trial I changed his shoes," McNair said.

"The trackwork rider felt there was a problem with him and I got Glyn [Schofield] up to get a second opinion on it. He felt it, so I had the farrier around and changed back to what we were using before this afternoon. The amazing thing is that it is off-front, which has been a problem for a while, not the near-knee he injured."

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McNair will monitor Hay List over the next couple of days and could still gallop the sprinter at Rosehill on Saturday. He said it was a minor setback when compared with his preparation last autumn.

"He is going better than he was two weeks out from the Lightning last year [when he stretched Black Caviar]," McNair said.

Hay List went on to win the Newmarket Handicap before being runner-up to Foxwedge in the William Reid Stakes.

It has been a long path back for Hay List after he slipped when getting up from surgery after breaking his knee.

Schofield said the gallop was pleasing but hinted at the problem.

"Hay List is Hay List," Schofield said. "There doesn't feel like there is too much wrong with him but there is always something."

Meanwhile, David Payne is considering the Australian Derby after Laser Flash and De La Dilo quinellaed the opener over 1900 metres at Canterbury on Wednesday.

Laser Flash, a son of Redoute's Choice, led all the way and his stablemate closed late without threatening. Payne said the one-paced stayer would only continue to improve as the races got longer but he will plot an easier path to the Derby than taking on the likes of Pierro and All Too Hard in the Randwick and Rosehill guineas.

"They would be too fast for him in those races," Payne said. "He can get there another way. He led in that race but that was because I thought he was the best horse in the race.

"I think in a race like the Derby he could get a bit further back because he is so relaxed.

"The other one [De La Dilo] is a nice horse as well and he will go along a similar path."